Störbrücke, Itzehoe, Road bridge in Itzehoe, Germany

The Störbrücke near Itzehoe carries Bundesautobahn 23 over the Stör, a waterway classified here as a maritime shipping route. Since 2015 it consists of two parallel, structurally identical bridge decks, each 15 m wide and 1155 m long with 19 spans. Over the river the Stör is crossed by tied-arch spans reaching 120 m, whose decks are steel-concrete composite; the approach ramps use a single-cell box composite section.

The first bridge here opened in 1967 as part of Bundesstraße 5, built between 1965 and 1967 as a 1160 m prestressed concrete structure with 26 openings. Repairs in 1983 and 1997–1999 addressed cracked Gerber joints, and a 1998 assessment gave it 10 to 15 years of remaining use. Construction of two parallel A 23 bridges began on 10 January 2007; the first opened on 19 June 2010 and the second on 24 October 2015.

The bridge transformation process included a marathon event in February 2011, where participants completed twenty laps on the decommissioned structure.

The structure is designed for automobile traffic on the highway and is not open for pedestrian or bicycle access. Your best view of the twin bridges comes from the riverbanks or nearby vantage points where you can see both structures from a distance.

The foundations of both bridges sink approximately 20 meters deep into the ground through reinforced concrete piles to ensure stability in the local soil conditions. This deep anchoring was essential to safely support the weight of modern highway traffic over the waterway.